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1. Who do I call if I want to report a pothole, fallen tree or other road hazards?

Please call the Jackson County Department of Transportation at 517-788-4230. A work order will be issued for you.

2. When will the work order be completed?

Work orders are sent to the foremen for scheduling. Unless your situation is an emergency, work orders are grouped together by location, and they are completed when crews are working in specific areas. Sometimes you may have to wait 7-10 days. Emergencies are handled promptly.

3. When will my road be plowed?

Roads are plowed in a specific order. State roads, like I-94 and US 127 are plowed first. Then, county primary roads are plowed, followed by secondary roads, local roads, and finally subdivisions and alleys.

4. I pay high property taxes. Why can't the roads be fixed with that money?

The property taxes residents pay are not applied to roads. Funding for roads comes from the Michigan Transportation Fund.

5. Will the money received from the Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) be enough to fix Jackson County’s roads?

Over the past decade, the cost to maintain and repair roads has steadily risen, but the Jackson County Department of Transportation's budget has not kept pace with the rate of inflation. Even if JCDOT receives the estimated full amount of funding in 2021, there will be years of catch-up work to be done to fix the county's “poor” and “failing” roads. JCDOT estimates that to get all of the county's roads into “good” condition would require over $50 million. While the new state funding increase will help, it will take five years to phase-in, and roads will continue to deteriorate as we await the new funding.
In addition to fixing the county's worst roads, JCDOT must also balance the need to preserve the investments that have already been made in the county's “good” roads, to increase their life spans and avoid costly reconstruction projects. JCDOT must also factor in the annual cost of winter maintenance, the need for new equipment, and other agency operation costs when determining how to allocate the new road funding from the state

6. Why does the plowtruck throw snow on my driveway?

Residents sometimes call and ask why we cannot pick up the blade when going by their driveway. This is not a practical solution, and our drivers would never finish clearing the roads due to the multitude of driveways. There is, however, a method of clearing your driveway that can help minimize the amount of snow (and frustration) during the winter months:
• If possible (not always practical), clear your driveway after we have finished plowing the roads.
• When clearing your driveway, place as much snow as possible in the direction of travel, on the downstream side of the road.
• Clear an area upstream from your driveway opening to form a "pocket" for the snow from the road to go into. The result? More of the snow from the road will go into the pocket and less will end up in your driveway.

7. When will my road be plowed?

Our first responsibility is to clear the state highways and primary roads. Typically, local roads are among the last to be cleared. If the snow continues to fall or drift, we may have to return to the state highways and primary roads before we are able to continue plowing local roads. JCDOT drivers typically make one pass to open up local roads, so residents may get in and out. Once all of the roads have had one path cleared, JCDOT will come back to widen the road, and then the shoulders for future snow accumulation.

8. My mailbox was damaged by a snowplow. Now what?

Since mailboxes are in the road right-of-way, they are sometimes damaged by road trucks when plowing snow, or performing other road maintenance. It is the policy of the Jackson County Department of Transportation to replace only mailboxes and/or posts that have actually been hit by our equipment. If the mailbox or wooden post was broken off from the force of the snow coming off the blade, we do not replace or repair it. To reduce this risk, please check your mailbox every fall to make sure it is attached securely to the post. Also, please remove snow build up around the post so when the road is plowed, the new snow isn’t pushing up against snow already piled up. Sometimes this forces the post to snap. Typically, most mailboxes damaged during snow removal are from the force of the snow coming off of the plow. If it is determined that your mailbox was damaged by impact of our truck, JCDOT will replace the mailbox with a standard mailbox. JCDOT does not reimburse for repairs or replacements.

9. Do you replace overhead street lights?

Typically, Consumers Energy Company takes care of street lights. The general services phone number for the Consumers Energy Company is 800-477-5050. JCDOT does not maintain any street lights in Jackson County.

10. Will JCDOT remove a dead animal from the road?

JCDOT will push the animal off of the traveled portion of the roadway. JCDOT does not remove dead animals from private property (including driveways), ditches or the shoulder of the road.

11. Will JCDOT remove fallen trees or branches from the roads?

If you see a tree blocking the road, please call 911, so that we can take care of the issue immediately. We can only remove trees that are free from wires. If there are wires, Consumers Energy Company will have to be notified to remove the tree.

12. When will brine be applied to my gravel road?

We apply brine twice a year; once in the spring/early summer and then another application in late summer/fall.

13. What is the process for getting a speed limit reduced?

The responsibility for the establishment of speed limits on our county roads and roadways lies with the Michigan State Police, the Jackson County Department of Transportation, and Township Boards as specifically outlined in the Michigan Vehicle Code. This requires a unanimous determination.
Criteria and standards of normal conditions have been developed to determine what is to be considered the proper speed limit for a section of road. Traffic volume, daylight visibility hours, and dry pavement conditions are all considered when determining an appropriate speed limit. Specific speed limits are based on a traffic study that includes the speeds drivers are traveling on the road, accident patterns and history, the road’s physical characteristics, and surrounding land use.
Please call our office at 517-788-4230 for any specific speed limit requests.